Contextual Advertising: A Temporal Perspective
The current marketing landscape is at a unique crossroads. Compared to a few years ago, personalisation in ad content has reached a pinnacle of sorts. That means users now see advertisements of products they are already interested in buying. However, it has come at the cost of blatant risks to their privacy. Many internet dwellers are starting to contest that they are not okay with advertisers tracking their online activity. Thus, they are willing to forgo ad personalisation if it means greater control over their personal information.
That is why contextual advertising is at the cusp of a resurgence. It allows advertisers to broadcast their campaigns in relevant places without creepily tracking user behaviour. More precisely, a contextually-placed ad is positioned based on keywords and campaign data. So, if you come across a mobile phone ad on a tech review website, it is likely a contextual ad. However, if the same ad appears on a cooking website, you see it because of your recent internet activity.
About contextual advertising
Based on our discussion above, you must have grasped the essence of contextual advertising. So, we will try to go past definitions now. Instead, let us talk about some context. Google AdSense is the premier contextual advertising powerhouse out there. Though other ad networks exist that provide a similar service, the scope and efficacy of Google AdSense are unmatched. So, if you are trying to grasp the fundamentals of contextual advertising, figure out how Google AdSense works and you are all set.
How Does It Work
Setting up contextual ads on Google’s Ad Network is pretty straightforward. You start by defining what your ad is about and let google do the rest. Here are three big-picture steps that make up this process:
- Define Topics and Keywords
Google places ads on its network based on either of two inputs; keywords and topics. There are pros and cons to optimising for each. When you double down on your campaign topic, you can target a broader number of webpages. Moreover, your campaign topic can be of varying degrees of specificity. But, targeting keywords is as specific a route as can be. It forces Google to go beyond websites that not merely match the overarching theme of your campaign. Meaningly, the analysis hinges on the specific keywords of your choice.
- Let Google Sift Through Its Ad Network
Based on your choice of campaign reach (broad or specific), Google will now start matching your ad with pages in its network. A campaign targeting broad reach is paired based on several factors, including page & link structure, language, account text, and more. On the contrary, a campaign targeting specific reach is driven entirely by keyword match. Quite obviously, it has the downside of alienating relevant pages that do not have your targeted keywords.
- Voila! Your Ad is Live
After Google’s analysis, your campaign goes live on compatible websites. Now, all you have to do is sit back and wait for it to deliver some valuable data-points and ROI.
How It Will Help Companies/Brands
With the ongoing backlash circling behavioural advertising, contextual advertising helps marketers in multiple ways. For starters, contextual ads are much cheaper than behavioural ads since they do not warrant strenuous amounts of data collection and analysis. Secondly, contextual ads sit well with users, mitigating concerns for privacy violations. Given the direction where privacy legislation is heading post-implementation of the General Data Protection Legislation, contextual ads will also enjoy immunity from government intervention.
Final Thoughts
There’s no denying the incentives that come bundled with contextual advertising. A report even states that the global contextual advertising market will likely grow by US$279.2 Billion in the coming years. However, we feel that this trend doesn’t mean the death of behavioural advertising. With a greater focus towards acquiring consent for data collection, behavioural ads can remain a viable advertising tool.
